ABSTRACT

The prostaglandins PGE1 and PGE2 and isoproterenol were effective bronchodilators capa-ble of reversing the increased airway resistance and decreased airway compliance induced by cholinergic stimulation in the cat. Administration of the prostaglandins by aerosol greatly increased their potency compared with the i.v. route, whereas the converse was true of isoproterenol. Cardiovascular effects of PGE1 and PGE2 were prominent only after i.v. administration. Blockade of various neurologic pathways failed to affect the broncho-dilating properties of PGE2. When administered by aerosol, the prostaglandins represent a new and novel class of potent bronchodilator agents. The prostaglandins comprise a series of by-droxy unsaturated fatty acids first discovered in the prostate gland and semen by Goldblatt (1933) and von Euler (1934) , and subsequently found widely distributed throughout the body. Depending upon the animal species and type of compound studied, the prostaglandins possess potent stimulatory or inhibitory properties on respiratory smooth muscle (Horton, 1969)